Wooden last



S. T. HENNESSY WOODEN LAST Filed Oct. 27, 1922 Patented Dec. 16, 1924.

UNITED STATES STEIHEN T. HENNESSY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

WOODEN LAST.

Application fil d October 27, 1922.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, STEPHEN T. HENNnssY, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wooden Lasts, of which the following is a specification- My invention relates tov wooden lasts for boots and shoes, and, is a distinct and practical improvement to overcome certain practical objections to, and defects in, lasts as now universally used in shoe factories.

The heel portion of wooden lasts are co1istantly splitting, breaking down and sagging out of their normal shape due to the strain and pressure they are subjected to when used. with a nailing machine and during the breasting of leather heels, and to overcome these defects in lasts, the objects of my invention are, first, to provide metallic reinforcing means for the heel section of a last, which. consists of a tubular core having opposed cylindrical. guides each reinforced at their base with bosses anchored to a metallic, preferably steel heel face plate to. revent the breaking down of the heel SBCtlOIL of. the last; second, to. afford facilities for retaining the device in position in the heel portion of the last, and at the same time to permit the upper end of last to be made very narrow; and, third, to provide means to indicate when reinforcing means and heel plate are in proper alignment with the tread line of the last, likewise out of alignment therewith, and, fourth to provide a base of sufficient area at the base of each tubular core guide to afiord strengthening, means to the heel face plate to prevent it from. being deformed under the most severe pressure and strains, thus assuring the plate lying at all times parallel to the heel seat preventing crushing or injury-to the wooden: heel portion of the last and always assuringthe heels to be appliedv to the shoes in a level and proper position.

Vith the aboveand other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel features of. construction, arrangement and combination; of parts hereinafter more fully described and. finally pointed out in theclaims hereto appended.

Referring to the accompanying drawings forming a part of thisspecification, wherein like characters of reference denote similar parts throughout the several views:

Fig. 1, is a top plan view of theheel Serial No. 597,390.

portion of a hinge last, showing my invention applied thereto.

Flg. 2, 1s a vertical sectlonal v1ew thereof Fig. 3, is a bottom, or base plan View of the heel portion of a hinge last with my invention applied thereto.

Fig. 4, is a perspective view of the device embodying my features of my invention.

Fig. 5, is a view representing heel portion of a hinge last mounted upon a standard, the view being shown partly in section and illustrating in position, a heel and nail die, or pressure means.

Referring to the drawings, the reference character 1 indicates a standard having the last supporting pin 2. 3, represents the heel portion, or section of wooden last, while 4 indicates a toe portion of the last as hinged to the heel portion, as at 5.

In order to accommodate my improved heel supporting and reinforcing means, I provide the heel section 3 of the last with a central bore 6, two opposed communicating bores 7, which are increased in diameter as at 8 at one end of the last heel section, said latter bores being concentric'with the bores 7 and communicating with the heel surface 9 of the last section 3, as will be apparent from Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings.

In carrying out the aim of my present invention, I employ a supporting and reinforcing means, which consists of a tubular post, or core 10. Integral with and disposed in opposed relation are a pair of substantially cylindric;v 11y shaped guide posts 11, which guide posts extend substantially the full length of the tubular central core or post l and terminate at their base in a boss 0* anvil base [2 of any desired thickness to add the desired strength to the base of the core and its guide posts. The upper ends or faces 13 of the guide posts 11 he flush, or in a plane with the upper face 14- of the core 10, as clearly shown in Figs. 2, i and 6. Cast to the base of the core and the bosses 12 of the guide posts 11, is a heel face plate 15 of the desired shape. This plate is relatively thin and preferably made of steel, so as to hold its shape under the most severe strains and pressures during nailing and breasting operations.

The peripheral face of each guide post- 11 near its upper end is provided with a plurality of serrations or corrugations 16. while the upper extremity of each guide post 11 is provided with an indicator projection or protuberance 17, which are preferably V shaped in plan view, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4-.

In applying supporting and reinforcing means described to the heel section 3 of a last, the tubular core and guides are receivable in the bores 6 and 7 respectively of the wooden heel section 3 of the last, and the bosses 12 are receivable in the bores or recesses 8, shown in Figs. 1 and 2, while the heel plate 15 is brought into engagement with the heel surface 9 of the last section 3, thus covering the same and protecting its surfacefrom being defaced. The supporting and reinforcing means is preferably forced into the bore so that the serrations or corrugations 16 will frictionally hold the same from displacement, but when de sired, additional fastening means may be employed in the form of nails or screws 18 which are driven through. the heel plate, as

clearly shown in Fig. 3.

One end of the tubular core 10 is preferably plugged by means of a suitable wooden or leather plug 19 as is usual in last construction to receive a wooden peg 20 when desired. which is driven through the sole 21 and into the plug.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that the cylindrical thimble or core guide posts securely holds the thimble core or tubular post from rotary displacement, hence holding the heel plate in its proper position at all times by preventing displacement thereof upon the heel surface 9 of the last section 3. It will be further observed that the gauge or indicator points 17 serve to instantly caution the operator, should for any reason, displacement of the core 10 and heel plate take place under constant strains and pressure, especially'after long usage of the last.

Heel sections of lasts constructed in accordance with my invention will remain stn'mg, substantial and solid, thus assuring the operator that the heel section is true or normal as to shape, which in turn. retains the thimble or core in normal position to permit of perfect breasting of the heel, and, retains the heel plate in normal position and shape to permit all heels to be perfectly and truly applied to shoes or boots, and, further the distance from the upper face of heel section of the last tothe surface of the heel plate will always remain the same. The device herein described can be depended upon to prevent breaking down of the heel portion of a wooden last, keep'the hole of the core or thimble in proper alignment with the last section 3, permit top of heel portion of last to be made very narrow and in general support and materially reinforce the heel portion of the last to prevent the breaking down thereof, which breaking down is a serious nuisance in the manufacture of shoes.

It will be apparent that my invention is simple and inexpensive in manufacture and in application to a last and will serve in making the heel section of a Wooden last highly efficient for the purpose intended.

The many advantages of the herein described invention will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art to which it appertains.

I do not wish to be understood as having limited myself to the details of construction shown and described, but desire to have it understood that the invention I have shown in the drawings is merely illustrative, as itis manifest that various minor changes may be made in the exact construction and particular arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of my invention, hence I reserve the right to make any such changes, or modifications as may fairly fall Within the scope of the appended claims when fairly construed.

What I claim is:

1. The combination, with a woodenlast, of a metallic plate covering the lower face of the heel section of the last, a tubular core integral with the plate and extending through the last from the lower face of the heel section thereof to the upper face there of, oppositely disposed cylindrical guide posts integral with the tubularcore terminating at their free ends in a plane with the free end of the tubular core, a boss formed at the lower end of each guide post, and each of said posts each having a portion of their peripheral face serrated.

2. The combination, with a wooden last, of a metallic plate covering the lower face of the heel section of the last, a tubular core integral. with the plate and extending through the last from the lower face of the heel section thereof'to the upper face thereof and oppositely disposed cylindrical guide posts integral with the tubular core, said guide posts extending from the metallic plate and having their upper faces terminating in a plane with the upper surface of the core and each of said posts each having a portion of their last engaging face serrated for locking the posts against longitudinal displacement within the heel portion of the last.

3. The combination, with a wooden last, of a metallic plate covering the lower face of the heel section of the last, a tubular core integral with the plate I and extending through an opening in the last from the lower face of the heel section thereof to the upper face thereof, oppositely disposed cylindrical guide posts integral with the tubular core, each of said guide posts extending from the metallic plate and having their upper faces terminating in a plane with the 1 upper surface of the tubular core, a boss formed at the lower end of each cylindrical guide post and each of said guide posts having a serrated surface.

4. In a last structure, a wooden heel section provided with a central bore and two opposed communicating bores, said latter bores being increased in diameter at their lower end to provide shallow sockets, a tubular core receivable in the central bore, a pair of opposed guide posts integral with the tubular core receivable in the opposed communicating bores, a boss "formed at the lower end of each guide post and receivable in the sockets formed at the lower end of the the heel face plate is in alignment with the tread line of the heel section of last.

In testnnony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name to the specification.

STEPHEN T. HENNESSY. 

